Four suspected fraudsters were on Wednesday remanded in Police custody by a Sekondi Magistrate court for attempting to defraud by false pretences.

They pleaded not guilty and would re-appear before the court on March 19.

They are Kortey alias Justice Prince Doudu, 43, Kyei Baffour, 28, Stephen Blankson, 32 and Emmanuel Anwubo, 39.

Briefing the media at the regional Police headquarters at Sekondi, the Western Regional Police Commander Kofi Duku Arthur, said the four were arrested at Teleku-Bokazu, Ayisakro and Axim respectively.

Police Commander Arthur said on March 2, one Reverend Anthony Kwame Nyame, a tutor of the Nsein Secondary School and founder of the Cross Calvary Healing and Deliverance Ministry based at Teleku-Bokazu in the Nzema East District received a series of telephone calls from Kortey.

He said Kortey alleged in his calls that the Reverend Minister's prayers had assisted him to gain employment in a foreign ship about seven years ago and wanted to re-ward him for his help.

The Commander said Kortey, 43, a trader resident in Accra pledged to assist Rev. Nyame to change some black papers cut to the size of currency notes into United States dollars, but would need some chemicals to effect the change.

According to the Commander, Kortey and another unknown caller informed Rev. Nyame that the chemical, which was in short supply, would cost 3,000 US dollars and the complainant who feigned interest in the deal alerted the Police about the incident.

On March 8 around 0645hours, Kortey arrived in Rev. Nyame's house at Teleku-Bokazu with the chemicals and while he was preparing to change the notes into the dollars, the Policemen hiding in an adjoining room arrested him.

Commander Arthur said the other suspects, were later assured on phone that the transaction with Kortey was over by Rev. Nyame and that they should bring the chemicals to Ayisakro for payment.

The commander said soon on their arrival, two of the suspects were arrested in a taxicab with registration number GW 5877U, but the others managed to escape, after abandoning the chemical and fleeing through a nearby bush.

He said the following day, Awubo, arrived at the Axim Police Station to bail his colleagues but was also arrested.

Source: GNA